//------------------------------// // 20: Return to Cloud Ruler Temple // Story: Nightmare Moon Crashes the Oblivion Crisis // by Blackdrag-rose //------------------------------// Pandora woke up from what she thought was a coma of sorts, confused as to where she actually was until she saw a familiar person standing next to her. Reality started to fill her sights as she realized that she was inside the palace of New Sheoth, sitting awkwardly on the Throne of Madness with Haskill standing next to her. She gazed to the other side of the chamber as her vision came back to her, finding a pair of Aureals and Mazken standing guard, to protect the throne against the enemies of Madness. Energy surged throughout her body, awakening her bones from their slumber and giving her the necessary strength to rise to a proper sitting position. It was then that she spotted the staff resting across her lap, letting her know that everything she had done previously; reforging the Staff of Madness, granting Nightmare and Luna the power to merge into one being, proclaiming that she was the new Sheogorath, and taking on and defeating Jyggalag, the Daedric Prince of Order, in single combat, had actually happened. "So it really all happened?" Pandora weakly asked, not even trying to bother anyone and got Haskill to turn his head and look at her. "Ah, good morning Lord Sheogorath," Haskill replied, beckoning to someone nearby to do something before turning his attention back to her, "I trust you had a good nights sleep?" "I guess so," Pandora said, not sure what to make of anything anymore, "Am I really the new master of the Shivering Isles?" "Yes, you are," Haskill swiftly answered, not missing a beat at all, "exactly like your predecessor planned. Splendid battle by the way, taking on Jyggalag's Order and beating him into submission. That will be going into our history books for future generations to discover." Pandora turned her gaze back to the throne room, her eyes rolling over every detail as she matched its current appearance to that of when she and her companions first entered the room. Besides a few trophies to show her journey through her predecessor's missions it almost looked like the exact same chamber, though she noticed someone was missing. Try as she might she could not find Nightmare anywhere, which only told her that her former companion was likely masking her magical aura. "Ah, I see your looking for someone," Haskill commented, noticing how she was moving her head and her eyes, "You companion went out for a walk and said that she wouldn't leave until you were awake. Don't worry, she'll be back." Not a few minutes after he said that the door opened, though Pandora smiled when Nightmare Moon, in all her dark glory, walked into the chamber like she owned the place. Apparently the guards didn't care about how Nightmare walked, no doubt because they saw her fight off so many Knights of Order and completely decimated them. They clearly weren't going to take the chance to anger her, least she turn her weapon on them and smash them into the ground, like she did to everyone else. Eventually Nightmare came to a stop before the throne, respectfully bowing to her with a grin on her face. "Glad to see your awake Lord Sheogorath," Nightmare said, causing Pandora to moan at the mention of her new name and the reminder of her new position, "What? I have to show respect, otherwise your guards might get over their neutral position and decide to try and attack me." "I am glad that you stayed to say good bye at least," Pandora replied, shaking her head, "I have to say, I wasn't expecting this outcome when we left Cloud Ruler Temple to investigate the strange door. Imagine me, a mortal from Nirn, becoming a Daedric Prince of Oblivion and defeating another Prince in single combat... I never would have expected it. This almost seems like an unreal dream and that I'm back in Cloud Ruler Temple, dreaming of something while we waited for Martin to figure out what to do next." "I'm sorry to be leaving you here, to deal with your new duties," Nightmare said, shaking her head slightly, "I'd love to help you settle into the role you've found yourself in, but, as you previously mentioned, it is time for me to take my leave and travel back to Cloud Ruler Temple. I'm sure Martin's made progress with Mankar Camoran's evil tome. I shall give Rend and Shadow your greetings and the apology that you can't continue to aid them at this moment in time." "I wanted to bring madness to the Empire's enemies," Pandora sighed, lifting her eyes so she could gaze at Nightmare again, "Go Nightmare, tell our companions.... no, our FRIENDS, about our adventure in the Shivering Isles and explain to them why I am unable to return to their side. I'm sure that they will see the reason why. And Nightmare, when this madness with the Mythic Dawn and Mehrunes Dagon is done, do visit me again. BEFORE you leave for your home world I mean." Nightmare nodded and bid her friend farewell, turning towards the door and leaving Pandora to her fate as the new Sheogorath and master of the Shivering Isles. The guards saluted her out of respect, to which she nodded to them in return, before she stepped out into the open air and spread her wings, something she had missed when her magic had been bound. Once they were open she took off, taking to the skies so she could traverse the distance between the palace and the doorway she and Pandora had entered to begin this quest. As she flew over New Sheoth she spotted several of its denizens looking to the sky and either salute her out of respect or wave their own good byes to her. Eventually she reached the doorway and immediately landed without delay, where she ducked into the magic and found herself back in Cyrodiil, standing outside the original doorway they had used. The guard that was guarding the door glared at her as he prepared his weapon, clearly wondering if she was a friend or a foe, but she paid him no mind. She flexed her wings and took off, correcting her course as she began the lonely journey back to Cloud Ruler Temple, so she could be reunited with her other friends. ------------------------------------------ Martin stared out at the mountain side while he thought about what he had read in the Mysterium Xarxes, thinking back to the items that they would need to follow Mankar Camoran into his paradise. He was sure that the two of them could easily find the items they needed, but the pair insisted on making sure he was safe before they learned where to go first. He and Jauffre knew that they were waiting for Pandora and Nightmare to return to them, so that the four of them could travel together again. He sighed for a moment, knowing that their enemy had yet to make a move in recovering the book he had been studying, almost as if they were waiting for something. It almost seemed like the Mythic Dawn had seen Nightmare enter the strange door they all knew about and they were waiting for her to return to Cyrodiil before they made their move. He started to turn so he could return to his new bedroom, but then he spotted something black soaring through the sky that was heading towards the temple. "Jauffre! Rend! Shadow!" Martin called, falling back towards the safety of the temple as the three showed themselves, "We've got something coming right towards us." The three of them, not to mention the majority of the Blades that were currently standing guard, drew their weapons and prepared for whatever was coming their way. Rend and Shadow watched as the figure, for that was the only thing that could move with such speed, rapidly approached the mountain temple. As the duo watched Rend noted that the night seemed to aid the person in their flight, almost as if it was being willed to aid whoever was coming their way. Then, just as he was about to ask Shadow about the figure, it corrected its course and descended down upon the temple, heading into the area between all of the Blades. As the figure touched the ground the shadows around it faded away, disappearing into whatever realm they had been called from as the identity of the figure revealed itself. Rend, Shadow, Jauffre, and Martin, not to mention all of the assembled Blades, were surprised to find Nightmare Moon standing there, in all her glory. "It is good to be back," Nightmare said, stretching her arms as she tucked her wings back in, before seeing that everyone had their weapons drawn, "What? Is the temple under attack? Has the Mythic Dawn found us?" "You nearly gave me a heart attack," Martin exclaimed, though a smile appeared on his face as Jauffre calmed the Blades down, "Where's Pandora? I don't see her anywhere." "We should talk inside," Nightmare replied, turning her gaze to Rend and Shadow, "I have quite a few things to tell you and I'd rather be sitting down than standing out here." And tell them she did, as she spent the next three to four hours telling them how she and Pandora had entered the Fringe, where she had been split into two separate beings, the meeting with Lord Sheogorath, aiding the people of the Shivering Isles, Pandora replacing one of the leaders of New Sheoth on Sheogorath's orders, and the confrontation between Pandora and Sheogorath's original form, the Daedric Prince Jyggalag. She ended her tale with her having to leave Pandora in the Shivering Isles, so she could fall into her new role as the Daedric Prince of Madness and master of the Shivering Isles. Despite it not being completely necessary she also told them about herself before she became Nightmare, revealing the darkest part of herself to her companions. Rend and Shadow were saddened by the loss of Pandora, though they understood that she needed to lead her new citizens and protect them from the enemies that wanted to drown the Shivering Isles in destruction. Martin was annoyed that Jyggalag, one of the most dangerous of the sixteen Daedric Princes, which was now seventeen thanks to Jyggalag and Sheogorath being separated into two separate entities, had been released into the world again. Martin was also interested in this other personality of Nightmare's, the Princess that was apparently locked inside Nightmare, though he knew he'd never get a chance to meet her. "So...we're down a member," Rend said, sighing as he looked over at Nightmare, who was just looking at the table, "but we still have Nightmare to aid us. We can honor Pandora's memory by saving the Empire from Mehrunes Dagon, exactly like the Emperor commanded us to do so." "It makes you wonder though," Shadow commented, resting his right hand under his chin, "The Emperor said that he saw a certain greatness in each of us, meaning in you, Rend, in myself, and in Pandora, despite how mad she eventually became. He must have seen that Pandora was going to eventually enter the Shivering Isles, battle the Daedric Prince of Order, and take over as the new Sheogorath. It makes you wonder what the Emperor saw in Rend and myself, what future he saw for the both of us. It truly makes you wonder what our destinies are, doesn't it?" "I won't be focusing on that until we're done with the Mythic Dawn," Rend replied, staring at the map of Cyrodiil, "Now all we have to do is continue our mission and see what danger awaits us. This time it will be the three of us, but I'm sure that we'll do just fine." "As long as Nightmare is here I doubt you'll miss Pandora that much," Jauffre commented... though Nightmare held up her hand to stop them all in their tracks. "I made a promise to myself in the Shivering Isles," Nightmare sighed, preparing herself for what she was about to do, "Allow me to show the four of you the real me." Rend and Shadow watched as the years rolled back, aging Nightmare from someone who looked like they were in their thirtieth year to what they looked like in their twentieth year. Her armor merged into a whole suit for a moment before it resembled a much lighter suit of armor, while retaining its ebony color and the moon emblem. Her hair lost the magical aura that held it up and returned to normal strands of hair, though it was light blue colored and cut much shorter than it previously was. Her battleaxe faded into whatever realm it was called from as another weapon replaced it, which happened to be a silver longsword with a moon emblem on the hilt. "This is the real me," Nightmare eventually said, her voice lighter than what it was in her Nightmare state, "This is who I once was once upon a time... I am Princess Luna."